Say Hi to God
by AntiPsychedelic
Summary: Just after the explosion, JD wakes up in an alternate universe where the roles are swapped, and Veronica's hellbent on revenge against Westerburg. The only way he can get back to his own universe, and back to his own death, is by saving Veronica from hers.


_Say hi to God._

It was the last thing he heard before his world went up in flames. His body exploded, along with everything around him. He could never imagine such intense pain coursing through him, his last moments alive. And all he focused on before it all came to an end, was the love of his life's face – pained with regret.

A loud ringing sound.

It was unbearably loud. The sound, that started off like a bomb's explosion, quickly melted into more like an annoying alarm clock.

!

JD gasped for air.

His eyes wide open, he shot right up in bed. Panting for air as if he'd been drowning, his gaze darted all around a room that wasn't familiar to him. It seemed like it'd be the type of room he _would _have, judging by the taste of the posters and other various things around… But things were neater, and there was more space to move around.

He looked down at his hands, expecting them to be charred and burned, but finding his skin all clean and intact. It wasn't just a dream… Just as much as this wasn't his real room.

Maybe he was hallucinating. Maybe this was life after death. He had no idea.

"Jason! Are you up yet?"

Again, he froze, eyes wide. It couldn't be…

The door opened, and there she stood. A woman with dark brown hair just passed her shoulders, light makeup and a navy blue dress. Her eyes were just as he remembered – warm and friendly.

"Mom…?" He choked out in shock.

"Honey, what's wrong? You don't want to be late – it's your first day of senior year." She smiled, "There's coffee and cereal on the table for you, c'mon." With a nod towards the kitchen, she walked down the hall.

JD placed a hand on his forehead, checking for any indication he wasn't off having a fever dream somewhere. Catching his reflection in a nearby mirror, nothing seemed off about his appearance. At least some things never changed.

He dressed himself in the usual grungy attire, just a band shirt and jeans, but then… a bombshell hit.

His usual jacket was nowhere to be found.

JD felt naked going to school with just a hoodie, but that was the closest he could get to his usual long jacket. He sat at the table across from his Father, who was reading the newspaper and sipping from a cup of hot coffee. They looked like the perfect TV family – nothing about this was normal to him.

"Son, you alright?" His Father pulled JD's attention back into reality with a question.

"Huh? Oh… yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." JD dismissed.

After breakfast and a goodbye from his parents, he headed out to his same old car, just parked in the driveway of their same old house. Elements that didn't change gave him just a little bit of comfort in this unusual world he'd been dropped into.

Driving to school, his mind couldn't wrap around why in the _hell _he was still alive. He gave up his life for Veronica! He exploded! He died! And now… he was here?

He wasn't the religious type… But maybe…

This was his second chance.

Maybe this wasn't the afterlife after all. Maybe this was just an alternate life. Maybe this was his chance to do something different.

But what…?

Suddenly, a girl appeared in the crosswalk in front of him.

He slammed his foot down on the break, just barely avoiding hitting her.

He raised his hand to apologize but froze.

She was wearing _the_ jacket – _his_ jacket. Her hair was black, with loose curls. Her eyes were a bold blue, the color he remembered so well. Everything about her matched the love of his life, because this _was _the love of his life.

This _was _Veronica Sawyer… But it _wasn't _Veronica Sawyer.

She glared and continued walking.

In a hurry to get out, JD swerved to the side, sliding into one of the available student parking lots. He parked the car and pulled open the door, letting it slam shut behind him. Bookbag barely swung over one shoulder, he hurried to catch up to her.

"Veronica!"

Without slowing her stride, she cast a glance over to him. "Sorry, do I know you?"

Ouch. If that didn't hurt more than anything else…

"Haven't we met?" He tried.

"No, I don't believe we have."

He tried not to let his disappointment be heard. This was the biggest chance he was uncomfortable with so far…

"I'm JD, I… wanted to apologize."

"For almost turning me into roadkill?" She smirked.

"Yeah, for that." Ah, Veronica. At least she was still the same.

"It's fine. Maybe you should pay more attention next time." She joked.

JD followed Veronica's eyes avert to the side, locking with the narrowed glare of Heather Chandler, sitting beside the other two Heathers right outside the school.

"I gotta go. See ya around." Veronica shrugged before quickening her pace, leaving a bumbling JD in her midst.

"I… Okay." Was all he could say.

.

.

.

JD was among the last to settle into his seat as the bell for first period rang.

He looked around the room. Everyone looked pretty much the same, even the Heathers. The other one who didn't was Veronica, sitting a couple seats ahead of him beside the window. He'd tried to snag a seat closer, but this was the best he could do.

Lost in his own thoughts, he almost missed his own name being called for attendance.

His fingers drummed against the school desk as he blocked out whatever it was the teacher was droning on about, focusing instead on his own dilemma. This was real. He really was placed in some sort of alternate universe, that much he could clearly see. But why? What was he supposed to accomplish? If he was supposed to redo all his own actions over again, then everything would still be the same. But it wasn't. So, what else?

He was hardly in the mood to pay attention right now, and the teacher _was_ calling on random people. He wouldn't be surprised if, with his luck, he became one of them. Grabbing some paper, he made up a fake permission slip to be excused early from class today, for the counselor's office – signed with the "counselor's" signature and all.

JD raised a hand, giving the teacher his note.

Thankfully, his excuse worked. He gathered his things and avoided the looks of his classmates, especially the raised eyebrows of Heather Chandler as he exited the room. She watched him write the note yet didn't rat him out. How surprisingly not evil of her, he remarked.

He spent the remainder of first period in his car, playing music through his headphones and thinking over all the possibilities. There was still so much shock left in him from this morning – seeing his Mom, seeing his family actually being a real _family,_ almost hitting Veronica, everything.

There was no one he could talk to about this. The one person he would've loved to have been able to tell, Veronica, was unfortunately not an option. Even if he tried, there's no way she'd believe him.

_Veronica…_

Guilt started to seep through, despite his best attempts to fight it off.

What if… he tried doing everything differently? Tried starting over new and healthier with Veronica? Would that change things? Make them better? Would he be able to live a happy life with her now, and put all of his past trauma aside? Is that what the universe wanted from him?

The bell sounded, signaling end of first period. Things were getting off to a terrible start – since he didn't even want to attend second period.

He got out of his car.

Walking towards the building, he was suddenly shoved forward from behind.

"Out of my way, loser."

With a grip on his bookbag, he was hardly surprised to see who the voice belonged to – Kurt Kelly.

Before he could respond, he and Ram were already off. JD took a breath, reminding himself to change things. Getting into a fight with them might draw the attention of Veronica and the Heathers, and that could lead to everything all over again. So, he did what he thought he could never do – he ignored them. He ignored the taunt, heading into the building on his own.

JD was one of the first to show up for his next class, claiming a seat near the window. He plopped his bag down on the floor, elbow on the table and eyes averted outside. He didn't even notice someone in all green walking up to him until their hand slammed down on the desk.

"Heather wants to see you outside."

He looked up, face to face with Heather Duke. JD blinked, looking behind him before back at her.

"Me?"

"Yes, you." She didn't seem too thrilled.

Well, this was different.

He slowly stood without his bag.

"I'd take it if I were you, you might not be coming back." She advised though didn't seem to care either way, walking out ahead of him.

He met up with her outside the classroom door, where sure enough – Heather Chandler and McNamara were.

"I saw you forge that note in our last class. You got her handwriting down cold." Heather C. stated.

"I _do_ have a knack for that." JD shrugged.

Heather C. studied him as he talked, as if trying to figure him out like he was a puzzle. A small smirk played on her lips, "How do you know Veronica Sawyer?"

He stopped himself from using the 'girlfriend' title. That obviously wasn't the case anymore. "I don't. Why?"

"So you just _strike up _conversations with random people?" Heather D. butted in.

"Shut up, Heather." Heather C. raised her hand.

"Sorry, Heather."

"So, you don't know her." Heather C. confirmed.

"No, I don't. She's just… someone I almost accidentally hit with my car today. So, I apologized. Why, should I not have?" He said sarcastically.

The other two Heathers rolled their eyes, but Heather C. was onto something.

"Whip up a note to get the four of us out of this class. Then, you're coming with us."

"Did you just decide this?" He snickered.

"Yes, I did." She replied.

JD's curiosity got the best of him, because here he was, forging a new note. It successfully excused the four of them from class, and they left, Heather C. leading the way with her hand around JD's wrist.

"Where are we going?"

Instead of answering his question, the Heathers led him to Heather D.'s car.

"JD, let me ask… Are you tired of being a loner?" Heather C. wondered.

"I… what?" He was caught off guard.

"We can change that. We can make you cool. You forge notes for us, you sit with us – we'll have to change up your look, of course. You'll become… one of us."

"Me? A Heather?" He couldn't have sounded more surprised if he tried.

"You. A Heather." Heather C. had the most prideful smile on her face.

And that's when it all clicked.

Why they suddenly took an interest in JD after seeing him with Veronica. Why she asked if they knew each other. Obviously, some sort of falling out had to have happened between them. And now, they wanted him, not just for his handwriting forgery skills. He was a pawn. A piece in their game.

But maybe this was all a part of what he was meant to do. _This_ is why Veronica even had his jacket. Their roles were swapped. He was a Heather. She was a troubled loner. They'd end up together. She'd decide to get back at Westerburg.

JD would have to save Veronica Sawyer from herself.


End file.
